The Don'ts (and a couple of Do's) of Pregnancy

This was originally written on Thursday, January 31, 2008:

My belly button is changing! Last night I was undressing and caught a glimpse in the mirror. I was like, weird--my belly button looks really tiny! I could barely see a hole. So then I felt it and it's completely flat! It hasn't popped out yet, but it doesn't really go in anymore, either. As if I didn't have it through my head before: I'm really pregnant!

Last night our neighbor Jenn invited us over for salad, lasagna, garlic bread, and brownies. Yum yum! It was fun. I got to hold her daughter (Maren) who is eight months old (the same age Logan will be next year, if he's on time)!

For today's topic: Everyone knows that alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs are bad during pregnancy. I don't even need to go into the details on why they're stupid.

So, I'll begin with caffeine. When I first became pregnant, this was the first "don't" that I paid attention to. Even though I'm not a big caffeine person (I never drink coffee and only drink pop on rare occasions), I was curious as to why it was bad.

Statistics show that women who consume caffeine regularly (especially 200 milligrams or more) DOUBLE their chance of miscarriage. Simply put, a baby can't digest caffeine--it reacts to caffeine as a poison. A small amount is said to be okay, such as the amount in chocolate-- or every now and then a 12-oz bottle of, say, cherry coke which has 34 milligrams. (I've had cherry coke on three or four different occasions but haven't finished the bottle "just in case.")

My motto is that it's not worth the risk; better to be safe than sorry.
Even after you leave the first trimester you should still avoid as much caffeine as possible because it can cause premature labor or low birth weight babies (i.e. unhealthy babies).

One of the hardest "don't's" for me was avoiding lunchmeat. I've had cold subs on four occasions while pregnant. My nurse said that most delis in the Midwest are fine--especially if you see them cut the fresh meat right in front of you. But, still, most of the time if I have an intense craving for lunchmeat, I make sure to warm it up until it's steaming because of listeriosis, a food-borne illness with mild flu-like symptoms that can result in premature delivery, severe illness, or death of the baby. (Heated lunchmeat kills listeriosis.) It can also be found in unpasteurized soft cheeses (and other unpasteurized dairy products), and hot dogs.

Cheeses made in the U.S. must be made from pasteurized milk (this process kills the listeria organism), so they are safe. Imported soft cheeses are potentially problematic. These may include Brie, Camembert, feta, goat, Montrachet, Neufchatel, and queso fresco. Listeria may also be found in unpasteurized semi-soft cheeses (slightly more solid cheeses that do not grate easily and are often coated with wax to preserve moisture and extend shelf life). Semi-soft cheeses include Asiago, blue, brick, Gorgonzola, Havarti, Muenster, and Roquefort. (This has been probably the easiest one for me because I tend to stick to the "normal" cheeses anyway. The only two I've had to make a point to avoid are feta and blue.)

A hard one for me has been ceasar salad dressing. Pregnant women are much more likely to get salmonella, so we should not eat ANYTHING that is undercooked or uses raw eggs. I have not taken any chances on this one. Once, I accidentally licked a spoon after making cookies and then remembered the dough had an egg and so I spit it out!

An easy one for me is herbal teas since I'm not a tea-drinker. Large amounts of some herbs such as peppermint and red raspberry leaf are thought to cause contractions and increase preterm labor. Remember that "natural" doesn't always mean "safe." Steer clear of herbs.

Seafood has been harder than I thought. I really don't eat it very often, but every now and then I get a major craving. Cod is safe (which I've had a couple of times while pregnant--that's the basic fish, found in fish sticks, McDonalds sandwiches, etc.) as well as shrimp (which I've also had a couple of times). Otherwise, I have avoided seafood because of the harmful toxins to a baby (which I'll have to continue to avoid while nursing). Sushi is the worst (because it's raw), as well as tuna, shark, swordfish, king mackerel, or golden or white snapper because they're high in mercury which can cause brain damage.

Sleeping on your back. Talk about a toughie. Starting in the second trimester doctors encourage pregnant women to sleep on their left side, as it minimizes pressure on your uterus and intestines and speeds up nutrients to the baby. Lying on your back puts too much pressure on the vena cava, which can cut off blood flow to the baby. Scary!

Heavy exercise, tanning beds, electric blankets, hot tubs, and saunas should be avoided due to overheating. A baby cannot cool down as fast as you, and so even if you think you are at an okay temperature, your baby could be frying. Baths are a safer route, which I have done many times throughout this pregnancy (as it helped while I was sick, as well as with my back pain). Because bath water cools down quickly and you are not fully submerged, my nurse said they are safe.

Litter boxes. Cats can carry a disease called toxoplasmosis that can harm a fetus. Have someone else change the box--and frequently--because it is only after 1 to 5 days in the litter box that toxoplasmosis becomes infectious. Also, don't feed raw meat to your cat or get a new cat during pregnancy. (For those like me with dogs, also avoid fecal matter.)

Lawn work. Pregnancy may not be the best time to get in touch with your inner groundskeeper. A recent study suggested that common weedkillers may cause developmental problems. Researchers found exposure to chemically treated golf courses and lawns before the recommended waiting period is over could harm the developing embryo.

There are many hazards around the house for pregnant women, but almost all can be easily avoided. If you still insist on doing all the house work yourself, try to stay clear of aerosol cans, industrial strength cleaners and fumes from paint, solvents and strippers. All of the above have been linked to birth defects and other pregnancy complications. It also pays to take it a little easier around certain parts of the house such as staircases.

X-rays are a form of radiation that is linked to a small risk of cancer for an unborn baby.

Avoid daily use of benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid and products that contain vitamin A and it's derivatives (retinals, including Retin-A, and retinoids). A vitamin-A derivative in Accutane, which is taken by mouth, has been shown to cause birth defects.

Avoid hair dyes that cover your entire head as the dyes usually saturate the scalp and could be absorbed into your system. Theoretically, these are safer towards the end of your third trimester, but doctors still caution, so I have avoided even high-lights during my entire pregnancy.

Now for some don't myths that are actually ok. . .

Nail polish remover that is used on the nails and immediately washed off is OK. Ditto for nail polish that is only wet for a short amount of time and is usually not applied more than once a week. Neither polish nor remover are absorbed by the nail plate. (Still, I've painted my nails half as often while pregnant. I don't buy the kinds with acetone and so the chemicals in polish & remover are said to be less harmful than that of cleaning supplies, etc. Steer clear of nail salons, though, as there are high levels of acetone there.)

Sunblock is not only okay, but required for pregnant women in the summer.

Any other questions you have, just ask your doctor! Speaking of which, time for me to get ready to go to mine today :-)

*UPDATE: I wrote a post in November 2009 about another "don't": peanut butter. You can read it here.